Warren Jones International Youth Regatta at Perth - Day 2
by Jonny Fullerton 30 Jan 2018 19:26 PST
29 January - 2 February 2018
City of Perth Festival of Sail - The Warren Jones International Youth Regatta - Day 2 © Rick Steuart / Perth Sailing Photography
It was another tricky day on Perth Waters for the second day of the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta. An Easterly settled in early in the day meaning a very short and enclosed race track. Although the wind ebbed and flowed between 13 and 17 knots, there were occasional gusts of 19 to really test the boat handling skills of the young crews.
Coming out on top at the close of Round Robin 1 is local sailor Will Boulden and his Alpha Racing Team from Royal Freshwater Bay YC. Will won 10 matches with his only loss going to the Dutch team skippered by Jelmer van Beek. Pushing him all the way was Harry Price and his Down Under Racing Team from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney. Harry has won 9 matches with his only losses going to Will Boulden and another local sailor Ethan Prierto-Low. Harry's boat handling skills are slick but a little too much aggression cost him a half-point deduction in an altercation with young gun Marcello Torre.
Jelmer van Beek and his Team Dutch Wave remain the leading international team with some very close matches. Jelmer finished Round Robin 1 with 8 wins and 3 losses. The battle between the three kiwi teams intensified today, George Anyon dropped a few to finish with 5 wins but the other two teams from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Performance Programme had a better day. Skippers, James Wilson and Nick Egnot-Johnson worked hard to take a few good scalps and all three kiwi teams remain mid table going in to Round Robin 2.
Mark Spearman from Royal Freshwater Bay YC acted as a late entry in the regatta and looks to be getting used to the Foundation 36 yachts and good teamwork by his crew is starting to show. The youngest skipper in the regatta Marcello Torre, had some very close matches today, the highlight being a win against the much more experienced George Anyon.
There were a lot of boats going aground all around the edges of the course until the tide came in around lunchtime keeping the maintenance teams very busy with tow ropes.
Earlier in the morning Swan River Sailing organised a fabulous morning on the water with 75 of Perth's corporate ladies taking part in the Women on Water regatta. They enjoyed a sail on the Swan River, the chance to polish up on some leadership and team building skills and an opportunity to meet other like minded women and a handful of our top sailors.
Racing continues on Wednesday with Round Robin 2 and a similar forecast. Sailors and volunteers will then retire to the Royal Freshwater Bay YC for a BBQ and watch the full blood, blue moon set over the City of Perth skyline.
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